Toronto ShopHERE program announced to lessen economic burden

(GLOBAL-TV) - In the above video, Toronto Mayor John Tory, joined by chief medical officer of health Dr. Eileen de Villa and chief Matthew Pegg, fire chief & general manager of emergency management for the city, provided an update on the city's ongoing response to COVID-19 on 11 May 2020.

The update came as some stores in Ontario reopened on Monday for curbside pickup after a weekend that saw the spread of the coronavirus slow to a pace not seen since March.

The measure announced last week is meant to help ramp the economy back up after the pandemic caused unprecedented job losses in March and April.
During the briefing, Tory announced a new initiative called ShopHERE, which is designed to help minimize the burden felt by local businesses due to the coronavirus pandemic. This program, part of the city's short-term Economic Support & Recovery for Businesses plan, will allow Toronto's independent businesses and artists to open a free online store and will launch in the near future.

In addition, the doctor reported that Toronto Public Health is "well on their way" to meeting Ontario's target for case and contact tracing for those infected with the coronavirus. That goal is to trace 90 per cent of COVID-19 cases and contacts within one day of a positive diagnosis.